At face value, the big orders from Air Canada in late September for Bombardier and Embraer jets augur well for the Western hemisphere’s last two regional jet builders. The orders added significantly to the companies’ delivery backlogs. Embraer received a firm order for 45 of its 98-seat 190s and Bombardier logged a contract for 15 CRJ200s and 15 CRJ700 Series 705s. Just days later, Air Canada emerged from a year-and-a-half-long stint in bankruptcy protection, allowing it finally to implement a fleet restructuring plan that rests on a wholesale commitment to smaller jets, flying point-to-point to more medium-sized destinations with CRJs and replacing narrowbody service with Embraer 190s for mainline duty throughout the continent.
Sound familiar? Just about every airline in the U.S. has trumpeted the same kind of strategies. US Airways’ flight plan looks particularly similar, with its focus on large Embraer RJs for mainline service and smaller Bombardier jets to fly with its regional subsidiaries. The fact remains, however, the legacy carriers still can’t seem to make money, regardless of their commitment to airplanes anointed by so many as the saviors of the airline industry.
